With Ullmark in funk, Bruins’ Game 7 goalie in air
The Boston Bruins aren’t ruling out a goalie change for Game 7 of their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series against the Florida Panthers.
In fact, Boston coach Jim Montgomery thought about pulling starter Linus Ullmark during Game 6 on Friday night, a 7-5 loss for the Bruins in which Ullmark gave up six goals on 32 shots. Now the Bruins face elimination when they clash with Florida for a final time Sunday — and every player is under review.
Montgomery ultimately chose to stick with Ullmark in Game 6, but he didn’t say whether Ullmark or backup Jeremy Swayman would get the call in Game 7.
“We communicate with everybody involved, and we thought it was the kind of game we were going to pull out,” Montgomery said of not pulling Ullmark. “I think Linus is fine. I looked at him in his eyes a few times when he came back to the bench. I liked the way his eyes were looking. He looked intense and he looked keen.”
Ullmark had been a spectacular presence in the crease for Boston during the regular season, going 40-6-1 with a .938 save percentage and a 1.89 goals-against average to be a front-runner for the Vezina Trophy. The Bruins’ No. 1 gave up four goals or more only twice through 49 appearances, but Ullmark has ceded four or more scores three times already in this series alone.
“I just couldn’t make one more save. That’s it,” Ullmark said Friday. “Sometimes that’s just part of the game where that happens and today was one of those games. Today was just one of those days.”
Swayman was 24-6-4 with a .920 save percentage and a 2.27 GAA in the regular season. He took over for Ullmark in the final minutes of Boston’s Game 4 victory after Ullmark earned a penalty for tussling with Matthew Tkachuk. Otherwise, the Bruins have leaned on Ullmark. But after taking a 3-1 series lead following a 6-2 win in Game 4, they’ve dropped two straight and will have to try closing the Panthers out on home ice.
Questions swirled around Ullmark’s health and whether he’s battling an injury that has contributed to his uncharacteristically poor play. When asked how he was feeling physically after Game 6, Ullmark said, “I feel good. Thanks.”
Montgomery has until Sunday to decide who will man the net in Game 7, where the Bruins will also try to break the curse of recent President’s Trophy winners. Boston put together a historic regular season with 65 wins and 135 points. But since 2007-08 only one President’s Trophy winner has also won a Stanley Cup — and that was the Chicago Blackhawks in a lockout-shortened 2012-13 campaign.
The Bruins will need to make the right call on their goaltending — and, frankly, everywhere else — to avoid carrying on the recent tradition of tough postseason results for regular-season champions.
Wisconsin will start true freshman quarterback Carter Smith at No. 2 Indiana on Saturday, sources told ESPN’s Pete Thamel, replacing Danny O’Neil after the sophomore was carted off the field with a right leg injury last week.
O’Neil was injured on a 21-yard keeper during the first quarter of last Saturday’s 13-10 win over then-No. 23 Washington. He had a towel over his head as he was carted to the locker room.
Smith made his season debut following O’Neil’s injury, completing 3 of 12 passes for 8 yards while rushing for 47 yards and a touchdown.
Also available to the Badgers at quarterback is senior Hunter Simmons, who is 48-for-95 for 485 yards with two touchdowns and five interceptions this season.
For Indiana, wide receiver Elijah Sarratt is doubtful to play, sources said. Sarratt, who is tied for the Big Ten lead with 10 touchdown receptions, injured his hamstring against Maryland on Nov. 1 and missed the Penn State game last week.
With Indiana having a bye next week, Sarratt is on track to return against Purdue on Nov. 28.
Quarterback issues have hindered Wisconsin all season and throughout coach Luke Fickell’s three-year tenure.
Billy Edwards Jr. was Wisconsin’s first-team quarterback at the start of the season, but he sprained his knee in the second quarter of the Badgers’ opener and has played only one full series since.
Tanner Mordecai missed 3½ games with a broken hand in 2023. Miami transfer Tyler Van Dyke tore his ACL in the third game of the 2024 season.
Wisconsin’s intended season-opening starting quarterback has been available for the entirety of only 11 of the 34 games the Badgers have played since the beginning of the 2023 season. The last time Fickell had his season-opening starting quarterback healthy for a full game was in a 27-13 victory over South Dakota on Sept. 7, 2024.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
UCLA quarterback Nico Iamaleava will not play Saturday against No. 1 Ohio State because of a concussion, sources confirmed to ESPN.
Iamaleava was injured during last week’s loss to Nebraska. He began experiencing concussion symptoms after the game, according to On3, which first reported that Iamaleava would not play.
With Iamaleava out, redshirt sophomore Luke Duncan will make his first career start. Duncan has not attempted a pass in college as he tries to take down the top-ranked Buckeyes.
Iamaleava has thrown for 1,659 yards with 12 touchdowns and 7 interceptions in his first year with the Bruins after transferring from Tennessee.
He led UCLA to three straight wins in October, including a victory over then-No. 7 Penn State, but the Bruins (3-6) have lost two straight and need to win out to become bowl eligible.
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